How 21-Year-Old Marissa Ouverson Became SCA’s New Champion
Earlier this month, the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) was turned on its head when 21-year-old Marissa Ouverson won the World Championship competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Ouverson, a junior at Iowa State who started competing in SCA events in June 2020, took home the crown and floored the competition with her perfect steak-cooking skills.
While she’s attracted a lot of attention the past week for cooking skills, Ouverson leads a fairly normal college life, where she juggles schoolwork and hobbies. She’s double majoring in psychology and family services, with the plan to become a suicide prevention counselor after she graduates. She’s laser-focused on studies on the weekdays, but her weekends are all about competition and community.
We caught up earlier this week with Marissa and asked her about her fast ascent to World Champion, how she could be a role model for younger people and women to get into cooking competitions, and much more. Here’s what she had to say.
Marissa Ouverson, a junior at Iowa State, beat seasoned competitors and became the first woman SCA World Champion earlier this month.
The Smoke Sheet: In the past week, you’ve gotten a lot of attention for being a relative newcomer to SCA and winning it all. How are you feeling today?
Marissa Ouverson: I’m doing pretty good. I came back from the competition last Tuesday and had to dive right back into schoolwork. I have so much going on right now. Trying to get my schoolwork done and responding to every request has been a lot, but it’s been fun.
TSS: Looking back, you did your first SCA competition in June 2020, and then in less than a year, you became World Champion. Did you feel whiplash from winning so soon?
MO: Yes. I cooked at my first competition in Rockford, Iowa, and I walked in fifth place. I couldn’t believe it. Then the next time, I competed and didn’t walk. Then I started competing every weekend and would walk most of the time. It got to the point where people would start coming up and introducing themselves to me, I thought it was interesting. … It was so crazy to have men that I’ve been following for a long time come up and telling me I was great. It was amazing.
TSS: What did your friends and sorority sisters think of your win?
MO: They all think it’s pretty cool. Not a lot of my friends really knew. I don’t think they really understood what it was. They thought it was the coolest thing ever that I won the World Championship. Now they’re always asking me, “When are you going to cook us steak?”
Marissa was shocked when she was named World Champion and won the $10,000 prize.
TSS: While you’re double majoring in two unrelated areas, given the championship win, do you have any interest in adding food to your career track at all?
MO: I definitely want it to be a hobby for now. It’s my escape from school and stress, and I look forward to traveling every week. It’s nice to get out and have human interaction.
TSS: Given you’re going to school in Ames, what do you do about all of your equipment?
MO: I always have to go back home [to get equipment]. Usually, it works well when I drive down south, but if I have to go up north, my parents usually will drive up and bring my stuff. And I’m only able to practice when I’m at my parent’s house.
TSS: You grew up in the Kansas City area before heading to college in Iowa. Were BBQ and grilling part of your life growing up?
MO: I basically grew up at [Kansas City Barbeque Society] competitions that my Dad competed in. I kind of took after him. He started doing barbecue comps when I was about 10 years old and I’d watch. But it wasn’t really until last year that I decided to try my own hand at the steak competition. But I always grew up cooking with my parents and doing fun stuff like that.
TSS: Have you ever competed in a KCBS competition?
MO: I’ve helped my brother and Dad before in those, but I haven’t competed personally.
TSS: It seems like SCA is much more accessible for relatively new cooks. How do you think about it?
MO: It’s not as big of a time commitment to compete in the SCA. I could cook two steaks in one day, with load-in at 8 a.m. and leaving at 6 p.m. in the evening. For barbecue comps, I would remember getting there Thursday night or Friday morning and not leaving until Sunday night. … For SCA, it goes so fast. If you have a grill, you’re in and you can do it. At the beginning of the season last year, the back of the truck was filled and that’s all I needed.
The winning steak that won Marissa Ouverson the grand prize.
TSS: How can we encourage young people to participate in SCA and other cooking events?
MO: This year has probably had the biggest amount of young people so far. SCA lowered its age so 13-year-olds can start cooking with the adults. It’s great seeing how many are beginning to come out. There’s also Kids Cooks, so kids can get a better feel for what they’re doing. That is something that is getting them involved. This is something I want to work on personally this year — I want more kids and women to be cooking. Hopefully starting this year, people saw that a woman took home World Champion and Points Champion, that can encourage more people to get out here. We need to grow women and kids in this sport.
TSS: It seems like you’ll be a role model of sorts for young women now that you’re World Champion. How do you feel about it?
MO: I think it’s amazing. I’ve already had dads and moms reaching out to me and saying, “Finally, someone can show these kids and women that they can do it.” It’s so humbling knowing my name will be mentioned in that. It’s unbelievable that my name will be mentioned as, “the first female world champion.”
Marissa in action as she makes a perfect competition steak.
TSS: You don’t currently have an active public social media profile. Do you plan to create one or work on a platform so you can share tips and show off what you’re cooking?
MO: Yes, I do. I would like to be really open so people can message me and ask how to do things. It’s mostly all going through Facebook right now but I am thinking about how I can make it more open. I am friends with some of the best out there, and I’ll be getting some of their opinions too.
TSS: What’s your schedule like for the rest of the year?
MO: Next season is in full force already, and I’m traveling for competitions this weekend. I thought I was going to take a break this year, but this happened and I thought, “I want to get out there and get to know more people.” So definitely not taking a break this year, so that will have to wait. I’ll probably be doing one or two a month, but might do more if they are close by.
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Thanks to Marissa for sharing her story. If you’d like to learn more about SCA competitions around the country, you can do so here.
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) & Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
—Houston’s Blood Bros. BBQ is set to open a new Las Vegas location at Resorts World this summer.—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Houston’s Blood Bros. BBQ, which opened about two years ago, will take a huge step forward this summer when it opens a location in Las Vegas. The joint, from brothers Robin and Terry Wong with pitmaster Quy Hoang, is often listed among the best new barbecue restaurants in Texas, so clearly, the folks in Vegas took notice. The new location will be inside of Resorts World, a new casino, hotel, and entertainment complex. Allison Cook of the Houston Chronicle spoke with the Blood Bros. team about the new outpost and how they are going to overcome challenges of this crazy new spot. READ HERE.
Texas Monthly Taco Editor José R. Ralat writes about Arnulfo “Trey” Sanchez III of Vaquero’s Texas Bar-B-Q, a veteran Tejano barbecue cook who opened his first restaurant in 1989. Sanchez recalls beginning to serve brisket tacos in the mid-1990s, perhaps the first restaurant in the state to do so, well before restaurants like Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ made the dish universally known. More recently, Vaquero’s has embraced serving barbecue tacos on Thursday evenings, when they serve non-traditional barbecue brisket birria tacos. On Sundays, corn tortillas give way to Sonoran-style flour tortillas for smoked cabeza de res tacos. Other tacos offered on occasion include crisp suadero tacos, smoked salmon tacos, and brined and smoked pastrami tacos. READ HERE.
Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn opened his restaurant Horn Barbecue last October to great acclaim. Now he has turned his attention to his latest project: perfecting the classic American burger with his pop-up, Matty’s Old-Fashioned. Horn will make a limited number of burgers available for pre-order inside his namesake restaurant. Horn posted on Instagram that he wants to “change the burger game.” READ HERE.
The BBQ Fest on the Neuse, one of North Carolina's top annual barbecue events, is set to return May 7-8 this year in Kinston. The event was hosted for 38 consecutive years until it had to be canceled last year due to COVID-19. So this year, the community is hoping for a big win. “The BBQ Fest on the Neuse is Kinston-Lenoir County's signature event. During the festival we have the opportunity to show people from all over the country that Kinston-Lenoir County has so much to offer and is a great place to live, work, and play,” said Visit Kinston Executive Director Jan Parson. READ HERE.
Philadelphia-based social justice professor R. Scott Hanson missed Texas BBQ so much that he's now putting on weekly pop-ups at Cadence Restaurant. READ HERE.
ADDITIONAL READS
Oakland’s Dorothy King, known as the ‘Queen of Q’ to local patrons, lost her battle to breast cancer at the age of 69.
Award-winning food writer Adrian Miller spoke with Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn about his new book Black Smoke.
Elizabeth Karmel recently profiled pitmaster Rodney Scott for Forbes. Scott also talked to Lifehacker about the joys of light beer, his love for turkey, and his very impressive bourbon collection.
Pitmaster Joseph Quellar announced on Facebook that the food trailer for JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ will soon be ready to serve BBQ full time in Houston, Texas.
J.C. Reid writes about how fire maintenance can make or break a backyard barbecue for the Houston Chronicle.
Recently retired Army Infantryman Steven Rossler and wife Kristen officially announced that Rossler’s Blue Cord Barbecue will open as a food trailer in Killeen, Texas.
Barbecue champ Gary Carrino and longtime friend Frank Lord open Bronco’s Western BBQ restaurant in Cleveland.
Colorado Springs barbecue fans have a new place to find smoked meat.
—Terlingua serves a unique combination of seafood and Texas-style barbecue.—
WATCH
How Pitmaster Pliny Reynolds Brought Texas Barbecue to Portland, Maine — Smoke Point
At Terlingua in Portland, Maine, chefs Pliny Reynolds and Wilson Rothschild bring together the area’s bountiful fresh lobster, muscles, and mackerel, with Texas barbecue-style brisket, quail, chorizo, and more. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
Eliana Gutierrez of Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ — I Crush BBQ Show
In this episode of the I Crush BBQ Show, you'll meet perhaps the youngest pitmaster in the BBQ industry, who also happens to be a young lady. Host Abe Delgado talks with Eliana Gutierrez from Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ in Austin. She started her career in barbecue at the age of 17 and only three short years later she is cranking out some of the best food in the state, thanks to Valentina's owners Miguel and Modesty Vidal. You will definitely want to hear this young lady's passion and love for barbecue and her career will be one to watch. LISTEN HERE.
READ
The Four Fundamentals of Smoking — Chris Sussman
For those curious about what’s going on under the surface of great BBQ, The Four Fundamentals of Smoking: Pitmaster Secrets to Making Incredible BBQ at Home lays out fundamental techniques in detail, helping even the most novice griller transform into a confident pitmaster. Chris demystifies concepts like controlling airflow and humidity to perfectly capture smoke flavor in food, as well as maintaining the ideal BBQ zone temperature, and the secrets to knowing when a cook is complete, which go beyond internal temperature. Chris gives readers a sturdy foundation of knowledge, then shares foolproof recipes demonstrating these techniques in action with additional tips, so their BBQ comes out perfectly tender with incredible smoky flavor every time. ORDER HERE.
—Bradley Robinson gives his unique take on a classic Leroy & Lewis dish.—
Smoked Pork Cheeks
By Chuds BBQ
Austin barbecue standout Leroy & Lewis is well known for serving beef cheek tacos. Each time pitmaster Bradley Robinson made them, however, he wondered what they might taste like with pork instead. So, he decided to give his own unique spin on the recipe using the cheek from the pork jowl instead. The results look spectacular.
—Early 2021 may be light on larger barbecue events, but we expect many to happen later in the year.—
April 21, 2021: Brisket King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King NYC 2021 in Brooklyn. The event will be held this year at the outdoor space at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their takes on brisket and pastrami, including Blue Smoke, Central City BBQ, Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, and others. MORE INFO HERE.
May 7-8, 2021: The BBQ Fest on the Neuse — Kinston, North Carolina
The 39th annual BBQ Festival on the Neuse kicks off soon in Kinston, NC. The 2020 version of the event was canceled due to COVID-19, but it’s back in 2021 with a slightly different setup for safely. The festival will include barbecue, food competitions, shopping, arts and crafts, wine garden, children’s activities, and more. Expect a good time for families and BBQ enthusiasts. MORE INFO HERE.
May 12-15, 2021: Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest — Memphis, Tennessee
This four-day competition will be held in Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. Teams travel from around the world to compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $115,000 in prize money. Teams will compete in the championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder, and Whole Hog, as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce, and “Anything But Pork.” MORE INFO HERE.
June 4-5, 2021: Hogs For the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
The bug Hogs For the Cause barbecue competition and festival is back in 2021 with a few changes. Proceeds still go to fight pediatric brain cancer, but this year's event will be held at a 15-acre site in Belle Chasse on the east side of the city. Organizers are limiting ticket sales to only 25% of the venue's capacity, and they will make the event cashless. MORE INFO HERE.
July 9-11, 2021: Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country tunes, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S. and typically features the world’s best pitmasters and more than 15 musical acts. Read our to learn about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.
August 26-30, 2021: Meat-Up in Memphis — Memphis, Tennessee
Join Meathead Goldwyn and the AmazingRibs.com crew at the Meat-Up in Memphis. The Meat-Up will be based in the historic Peabody Hotel. Things will kick off with a whole hog cooking demonstration Friday afternoon followed by a welcome dinner at the famous Rendezvous. Saturday will be a day of pork-centric seminars in the hotel, with special porky meals. Sunday, attendees will board buses and visit four BBQ joints for a deep dive into the historic tastes of Memphis barbecue. MORE INFO HERE.
NOTE: Due to the pandemic, it’s possible these dates and details might change. For the latest details, please check out our full events calendar.
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